Sleep your way Sassy

Rely on an alarm clock to wake and then hit the snooze button several times?

Feel tired in the afternoon?

Need coffee or sugar to get going in the morning?

Feel grumpy when you wake?

Notice low energy levels?

Fall asleep in meetings or warm room during the day?

Have difficulty losing weight?

If you are answering ‘yes’, then you might well be sleep deprived; and it is a myth that you can catch up at the weekend. Long term sleep deprivation has many effects on our bodies. Helpguide.org list the following as a starter for ten:

Fatigue, lethargy, and lack of motivation

Moodiness and irritability

Reduced creativity and problem-solving skills

Inability to cope with stress

Reduced immunity; frequent colds and infections

Concentration and memory problems

Weight gain due to poor regulation of the hormones ghrelin and leptin

Impaired motor skills and increased risk of accidents

Difficulty making decisions

Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems

So not exactly a Sassy!

If your sleep is disrupted by night sweats and flushes, take a look at our blog: Menopause madness part two – night sweats

Cause

Sassy solution

Can’t relax and get off to sleep

Have a warm bath with lavender oil in the water before bed. Put a few drops on your pillow.

No caffeine or sugar after 18.00.

No alcohol after 19.00 (it will only add to the weight gain effect anyway!)

Remove the TV and anything which emits LED light (mobiles, tablets, computers) from the room. The light makes your brain think it is daytime

Get into a routine – having a bedtime for the week is no bad thing; it worked when we were kids so why not now?

Snoring partner

Buy him snoring patches. One of our Sassitas keeps a pack under her pillow and slaps them on her man when he is asleep!

Ruminating thoughts

Get White Chestnut from the Bach Flower collection www.bachcentre.com put three drops in water and sip before snuggling down. Keep it by the bed and put three drops under your tongue if you wake and it starts again.

Have paper and pencil by the bed. If you wake, write down the worry and leave it on the paper for the morning. It will not look like such a problem in daylight.

Anxiety

15 minutes of mindfulness. Wait for our article on Mindfulness for the busy Sassista.

Uncomfortable

Check the mattress and get a good pillow.

Environment

Crack open the window – fresh air helps.

Get black-out curtain liners to cut out street light.

Keep the room cool. A hot bedroom will wake you up.

If you do wake up in the night and lying there is just unbearable then keep to the following:

Avoid putting on bright lights as this will wake your brain.

Move to another room

Avoid the TV and computer – that light will stimulate melatonin and wake you up even more

Do something relaxing such as reading or listening to a talking book, knitting, petting the dog or cat

Whatever you do – do something. Sleep will make you more Sassy, slim and serene.

If you are a women over 45 and you want to…

Grow your mind

Love your body

Care for your soul

Then this is the online magazine for you. We will bring you fresh ideas, practical advice and something to think about. But do not expect fluff and kittens. This is where handbags meet hardball advice and attitude.

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine". Unknown.